The Beach Cottage
by Gemmika
Summary: Anna Frederickson is in need of a vacation and a cottage on the beach sounds like the perfect place to recharge, relax and think about her future. At least, that was what she had intended until her plans are spoiled by sexy contractor, Kristoff Bjorgman. Maybe what she needs isn't relaxation, but a good old fashioned vacation fling. (MA rating)
1. Arrivals

**Notes: **This isn't a normal multi-chapter story. This is more like snapshots of time in this particular AU. Having said that, I hope you enjoy the ocean view...

**Disclaimer: **I am not Jennifer Lee or anyone else involved in the making of Disney's Frozen. I'm just a fanfic writer.

Anna clutched the keys tightly in her fist, the grooves cutting into her palm as she stared at the pretty little white cottage. There was nothing ominous about it. The sun was shining as was to be expected on a sunny July day at the beach. There was a beautiful little white picket fence surrounding the property and even a small lawn that was just as green as it had been in the pictures she had seen online. There was no real reason she should have felt this overwhelming sense of unreality as she stared at the cottage that would be her home for the next two weeks, but she couldn't seem to shake it either. It was probably because her entire life had turned upside down and so nothing felt quite right anymore. She let out a sigh, her shoulders drooping a bit as she turned off her car and stepped out into the brilliant sunny day.

Once she had her luggage out of the car, a smart little suitcase with wheels and a pull out handle, Anna made her way up the flagstone path and stepped onto the porch. She took a moment to admire the sandy beach and crystal blue waters that were a short 200 ft walk from the house, and then squared her shoulders and slid the key into the lock on the door. No matter how she felt about this unplanned vacation, Elsa had paid good money for her to take some time for herself and she wasn't going to waste that generosity on moping around. She was here to think and to paint, to reflect and plan for her future. It sounded like such a boring way to spend her time in a beautiful place like this.

She hauled her suitcase over the threshold of the house and closed the door behind her, knowing that if she didn't do it now she was likely to forget. That was one of her many problems she had been suffering from in the past month or so. She would get distracted and lose track of everything she was doing. Yes, it was definitely better to make sure that doors closed behind her and all manner of electronics were turned off as soon as she finished using them. She didn't want another incident like the iron. It was really too bad, those had been her favorite trousers and she still hadn't been able to find a proper replacement for them.

She stepped from the foyer into the living room and found herself gasping in surprise. It was so pretty! Everything was done in shades of cream and pale blue, including the powder blue tile on the floors. She picked up a vase from the table, filled with delicate lavender blossoms, and inhaled the soft scent. The owners of the house had gone above and beyond what she had expected from the few pictures she had seen, these blossoms were real flowers, not a nice silk bouquet like she had thought. Not everyone paid attention to details like that, but Anna appreciated it, she felt at home.

After setting the small crystal vase back on the coffee table, Anna began exploring the rest of the cottage, hoping to find the bedroom so that she could start unpacking her things. It hadn't been a very long drive, but she was already tired and ready for a nap. And wasn't that part of what vacations were for? Catching up on your rest and relaxation? Besides, there was no one here to tell her what to do, not for the next two weeks. It was just going to be her and her thoughts, and what was a better way to spend her vacation than that?

It didn't take her long to find the bedroom, a rectangular room with that same pale blue color on the walls and a soft white shag carpeting on the floors. It also had large doors set into one of the walls that led out onto the beach. The curtains had been drawn to the sides and she could see a perfect view of the shore through the thick glass panes that made up most of the doors. The view of the beach didn't hold her long, though, as there was a view inside the room that kept drawing her eye. She couldn't keep the smile off her face when she saw the bed, a California King with a gauzy white canopy hanging over head. It was quite possibly the most romantically beautiful bed she had ever seen and she couldn't wait to curl up on it and sleep.

It didn't take long for her to unpack her clothing into the small bedside dresser, she had brought only a few outfits after learning that the cottage had a washing machine and dryer that she was able to use. It had never made sense to her to pack things she didn't need. She and Elsa had that in common, it was one of the only things that they seemed to share. She was much more impulsive and flighty than her sister, prone to romantic daydreams and quick to fall in love. Oh, if only she could be more like Elsa when it came to love. If she had been more picky in the guys she chose to date, maybe she wouldn't have been dumped by the scum of the earth. At least, that's what Elsa called him. Anna had picked out a few other choice words, every one of which suited him perfectly. _Damn Hans Westerguard_, Anna thought bitterly as she threw her underwear into a drawer. If it hadn't been for him she wouldn't be here, rethinking her life. He had just seemed so damn _charming_. How could she have known that the same charm she had been drawn to had been hiding a cold hearted bastard?

Tears welled up in her eyes and she slammed the dresser drawer hard, feeling satisfaction course through her at the loud wooden bang it made. She didn't need a nap, what she needed was to leech out her aggressions, to throw paint on one of the many canvases she had brought in her trunk and lose herself in her art. Hans didn't deserve another moment of her time, not after he had so casually tossed her out of his apartment and his life. She was here to find herself again and she was determined to do just that.

With a sense of purpose lighting her up, she stalked from the bedroom, across the living room (snatching her keys from the coffee table where she had dropped them next to the vase of flowers) and was about to head out the front door when it was wrenched open and she found herself standing face to face with a tall, blonde and burly man that she had never seen before.

He stopped dead in his tracks, his chocolate brown eyes growing wide as he took in her presence. "Who are you?" he asked gruffly, setting several bags of groceries down on the tile floor in the foyer.

"I was just about to ask you the same question!" Anna said in surprise. She looked down at the food and frowned. "What's all of that for?"

"To eat," he said, as though that were completely obvious. He stepped around her and held the door open for her. "Get out."

"Excuse me?" she asked, not understanding what he meant. "Why would I leave? I have the place rented for the next two weeks."

A tick moved in his jaw and he shook his head. "Not possible."

"Why not?" She placed her hands on her hips, ready to go to war with this strange man who had shown up and invaded her peace and quiet.

"Because I'm renting it for the next two weeks," the stranger said and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He looked more than annoyed, he looked downright angry at her intrusion into his life. Unfortunately for him, he had to be wrong.

"No, look," Anna said angrily, reaching into her purse and pulling out the confirmation sheet that she had printed out two hours earlier. "It says here that I'm scheduled from July 1st through the 15th."

The blonde stranger yanked the paper from her hands and stared at it, as though daring the paper to be wrong. When his eyes widened, she felt victory within her grasp. She was about to rub it in that she was right and he was wrong and kick him out, when he tossed the paper back at her and pulled out his cell phone. He jabbed at the buttons and then smashed it against his ear, practically seething with frustration. "Dammit Sven, pick up the phone," the man snapped. When the person he was calling didn't pick up on the other line, he shoved the phone back in his pocket and ran a hand over the back of his neck.

"So?" Anna prompted, curious to know what his little show had been about. He sent her a scathing look and then swept the bags from the floor into his arms and stormed past her into the kitchen. Unlike her, he seemed to know exactly where he was going in the house without having to examine and search everything. She suspected that he had been there before.

"I called him a month ago," the man seethed as he put the groceries away in cabinets and the small cream refrigerator tucked away in the corner of the room. "He told me not to worry about it and he would see to the details. Yeah, he'll see if I ever help him with a building project again."

"Your friend owns this cottage?" Anna asked him, setting herself on a stool next to the island and propping her elbows on top.

"I helped him build it," the man said stiffly, "and in return he said that I could borrow it whenever I wanted as long as I gave him notice. Well, I gave him plenty of notice and you see what happens?" He waved a carton of milk in his hand and Anna ducked, hoping that it wouldn't fly free and hit her.

"He double booked us?" Anna guessed, having already figured out that much for herself amidst his angry musings.

He nodded, slamming the milk carton in the refrigerator and then turning his focus on her. "He's probably already up at his cabin for the 4th and he doesn't get reception up there. Which leaves the two of us to deal with the crap he left behind."

"Does that happen a lot?" Anna asked, wondering from his tone if he had been in this situation before. It sounded like he had known this "Sven" for quite a while.

"Not as much since he got married, but often enough," he admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. It looked to her like he was finally calming down, but she didn't want to jinx it.

"That's probably what happened," she told him. "I talked to a woman on the phone when I confirmed the rental. If he didn't tell his wife that he already rented it out to you…"

"Well thanks, Sherlock, but that doesn't exactly help much does it?" he said patronizingly. "Unless you can come back in two weeks or find yourself another place, we seem to be stuck together."

She frowned. "Why couldn't you come back in two weeks? Why would it have to be me?"

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck again. "Look, I'm sorry I snapped at you, but I just finished a six month long construction project and I'm tired. I needed a break and this isn't exactly what I expected."

Her eyes widened and mouth fell open just a bit. Had this hostile man in front of her really just apologized? She felt bad for him, especially because she knew how he felt. She hadn't exactly been expecting an intrusion on her vacation either. They were both in a tight spot without a lot of choices. She couldn't afford to pay Elsa back for this and she didn't want to put any pressure on her to change her vacation plans either. She was twenty years old, she could figure out what to do by herself, and right now she needed to make peace with the man standing on the other side of the island.

"I'm not here to get in your way. If you want, I'll take the couch and you can pretend I'm not even here," she suggested, hoping that he would take her peace treaty and not throw it back in her face. It was almost painful to give up that bed, but he had a prior claim on the cottage and she was willing to do whatever it took to make peace.

"My mother would have my hide if I let a girl take the couch," he grumbled, "so you take the bed and I'll have the couch. We can work things out until Sven gets back on Monday, that's less than a week that we have to deal with each other."

Anna beamed at him. "I promise you won't even know I'm here. I'll spend most of my time out on the porch with my easel."

He gave a long suffering sigh but nodded. "All right, whatever," he agreed.

"I'm Anna, by the way," she said and shot out her hand, "what's your name?"

"Kristoff," he muttered and then walked out of the room. He didn't even shake her hand.

_Fine_, she thought as she walked out to her car to grab her painting supplies, she didn't need him as a friend or anything. They were just planning to stay out of each others way, so she didn't need a handshake or a smile or anything to let her know that he didn't resent her for ruining his vacation even though she hadn't intended that at all! It suited her just fine. _Fine._


	2. Reluctant Peace Offering

**Notes: **Some of the "chapters" will be shorter as they are snippets of time more than actual chapters. This one is one of the smaller scenes.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Frozen.

"…and there!" Anna said with a flourish as she signed her finished painting.

She stood up the from the stool she had been perched on for the last several hours and rolled her shoulders, hoping to ease some of the muscle strain from them. Most people wouldn't think of painting as anything strenuous, but Anna knew better. She often sat in the same exact position for hours as she worked on her latest masterpiece. By the time she was done, her muscles would be screaming for a change, so she stretched out as she looked over her newest work.

It wasn't her best by any means, but it had made her happy. She was growing famous for her portraits and character studies of her subjects. She didn't often draw landscapes, but the ocean view with the small lighthouse in the distance had been too pretty a picture to pass up. She doubted she would even try to sell this one. She would keep it for herself as a memory of this vacation, the peaceful part of her vacation. Goodness knew she would need something to remember how relaxing it had all seemed when she arrived. Her "roommate" hadn't exactly been friendly since their talk the afternoon before and she had a feeling that staying out of each others way was going to be a lot more difficult than it had first appeared. Not that she wasn't doing her part in that. She had spent the better part of the past two days on the porch painting, but she couldn't help but feel like an unwanted guest whenever they as much as crossed paths in the house.

She sighed and packed up her painting supplies, opting to the leave the actual easel and canvas on the porch for now. The painting hadn't dried yet and she didn't want to ruin it by trying to move it around. She had made that mistake once and had cried for days over the smeared picture that had taken her a week to finish.

She stepped through the front door and was surprised to catch the scent of grilling steak coming from the kitchen. She dumped her supplies onto the coffee table in the living room and made her way to the kitchen, growing hungrier with every step that she took. It was nearing dinner time and for the life of her she couldn't remember if she had eaten anything yet today. When she stepped into the spacious kitchen space, she found Kristoff grilling steaks in a skillet on the stove, but not only that, he was also whisking together something that looked like mashed potatoes. She couldn't stop her stomach from letting out an ugly growling sound. Nothing she made could even compare to what she was seeing before her.

"I'm making steaks and twice baked potatoes," he said without turning around to look at her. "I was going to go out to the porch and get you when it was done. I noticed you didn't eat anything today."

Tears of gratitude pricked her eyes and she stepped up to the island stools and took a seat. "How did you know I was here?" she asked.

This time he did turn around and she could see the glint of humor in his eyes and mouth as he looked at her. "I heard your stomach growling. It sounded like a wild animal."

She flushed a brilliant shade of red and felt her lips twist up into a smile. "I thought you were ignoring me," she said pointedly.

"You sound like a grizzly bear," he said flatly, "that's pretty hard to ignore."

A laugh bubbled up through her lips and was impossible to contain. "That's not what I meant and you know it. You seemed pretty upset about having to share this cottage with me yesterday, but today you are making dinner and even making extra to share with me. So, what gives?" she asked.

He turned back to the steaks and drizzled them with some kind of sauce before speaking again. "I just thought you might be hungry and since I was making dinner for myself I figured it wouldn't take that much effort to make enough for you too. If you don't want it I'll just stick it in the fridge and have it for lunch tomorrow. It doesn't matter to me."

"It smells good," she admitted, trying to keep the smile off her face and failing. "If you don't mind, I'll join you for dinner."

He grunted. "If I minded, I wouldn't have made extra food, would I?"

"I'll set the table."

It wasn't a friendship exactly, but it was a start.


	3. Quickly Thinning Bubbles

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Frozen.

Anna sighed happily as she sunk into the bubble filled bathtub. She had found the milk and honey scented bath under the sink and decided that soaking in a tub filled with a delicious scent was the perfect end to her day. Her muscles were sore from spending the past two days perched on a stool, painting the beach scape, not to mention the walk she had just taken along the beach. The steaming water brought a sigh from her and she gave herself over to relaxation. Isn't that what vacation was for?

She was just getting settled in, when she heard the door creak open behind her. She jumped up, sending water sloshing onto the tile floor. "Hey!" she cried out in surprise.

Kristoff froze in the doorway, his hand still on the door knob, and stared at her. "I thought you were taking a walk on the beach!"

"You couldn't knock first to be sure?" she demanded. It was hard trying to hide her naked body in the bubbles and be suitably outraged at the same time. Damn him, why didn't he stop staring at her and leave like any other rational human being would?

He shook his head like he was clearing his thoughts, and then frowned in distaste. "You couldn't lock the door? What is wrong with you?"

She didn't know how to respond to that kind of rudeness, she just felt her mouth fall open in surprise. Plus, the bubbles were staring to dissolve as they wasted time staring each other down and if he didn't leave soon, she was going to be exposing herself to this hostile stranger. She didn't think either of them would appreciate that very much. "Look, can we talk about this when I'm done? I'm losing my bubbles," she said pointedly and wrapped her arms around her chest. Unfortunately, she couldn't hide much so the tops of her breasts were peeking out of the bubbles for his viewing pleasure. She felt her cheeks start to flush and knew it had nothing to do with the warm water she was soaking in.

"Oh…" he took a step back, but his eyes remained on her body, "sorry."

But still he hesitated for another long moment before stepping out of the room completely and closing the door. Anna had her privacy again, but she wasn't quite sure how she felt about it. There was something in his eyes that warmed her more than the bath water ever could. Filled with confusion, she sank back into her quickly thinning bubbles, but wasn't able to stop thinking about the strange man she was unwillingly sharing her vacation with.

Kristoff leaned against the bathroom door, unsure of what had just happened in there. All he had wanted was a quick shower and a few hours to enjoy the murder mystery that he had brought along with him. How in the hell did she keep screwing up all of his plans? He closed his eyes and willed himself to fight the arousal that Anna's soft pink skin had instilled in him. He was incredibly grateful that she didn't notice the way his jeans had grown tight at the sight of her. He was embarassed enough that she had had to ask him a second time to leave the bathroom. He wasn't sure what it was about her that got to him, but as much as she annoyed him, she also aroused him like no woman had in his memory.

He made a noise of disgust and pushed himself away from the door and away from her. He could only hope that the old adage was true: Out of sight and out of mind. Unfortunately, he had a feeling that the sight of Anna's breasts peeking out from the top of the bubbles was going to stay with him for quite awhile. So much for a relaxing vacation.


	4. Hell Yes

**Disclaimer: **At this point I'm going to assume you all know that I don't own Frozen.

Kristoff had left the cottage at the crack of dawn, not wanting to risk seeing Anna again and experiencing that same strange arousal that had kept him tossing and turning all night long just imagining if her skin would taste like the milk and honey bubble bath she had used. He was going out of his mind being cooped up in the small house with her, so he figured that getting out and breathing in some fresh air would help him gain some much needed perspective. He couldn't really be attracted to Anna. The girl had more energy than his entire construction crew put together! If she wasn't such a talker, he would offer her a job as foreman on his crew. He had a feeling she would be good at rallying people together on a project.

Damn it, why couldn't he get her out of his mind? She was just some random girl that he happened to be sharing the cottage with. She wasn't someone that he would cross paths with on any normal day, she seemed to be high class judging from the little red Benz she was driving around. Hell, she wasn't even his type! So why couldn't he stop thinking about her? It had to be that damn image of her in the bath tub. Any red-blooded male would have a hard time not picturing what she looked like under all those bubbles, right? It wasn't that she was actually appealing to him on a personal level, just a physical one.

Yeah… and that was bad enough.

He walked along the beach in the dim morning light, thankful that he was alone for the moment. He wasn't used to feeling this way, so off balance and confused about a woman. It wasn't that he hadn't had interactions with women before, he was twenty three years old, he had been to college after all. For some reason Anna was different and he couldn't pinpoint why. He couldn't even get her out of his head for more than a few seconds! Why was she different? Why did she get to him? Why was he asking the same damn questions over and over? It was obvious he wasn't going to come up with any answers, not after he'd already been walking and thinking it over for two hours. Besides, he was just running away from the problem instead of facing it head on, which wasn't like him. It was time he headed back to the cottage and dealt with his problems. Even if that meant he had to swallow his pride and apologize for being a jerk.

By the time he made it back to the cottage an hour later, people were starting to stream onto the beach. It was the Fourth of July, Independence Day, and the seashore was a popular destination. He wasn't surprised to see families packing the beach in front of the cottage, but he was surprised to see Anna on the porch with her sketchbook in her lap, drawing furiously as she watched the families setting up their beach towels and umbrellas. He chuckled as he climbed the porch steps to her side. She was adorable when she was concentrating, her tongue peeking out from her lips as she worked. He had been so focused on that small bit of tongue that he hadn't even realized what she was wearing.

"There are families with children here you know," he said pointedly, gesturing to the mess of children only a hundred feet or so from the cottage.

She looked up from her sketchbook, her eyebrows raised in confusion. "Okay?"

He looked her up and down, taking in her long creamy white legs and bare freckle dusted shoulders. His mouth ran dry and all rational thought left his head at the sight of all that bare skin and it annoyed him that one look at her could bring about this reaction. She was sexy, that's all there was to it and he couldn't ignore that fact any longer. She may not have been his type traditionally, but he couldn't deny that all he could think about while staring at her half naked body was dragging her inside the cottage and removing the rest of her clothing with her teeth. It didn't matter that he didn't particularly like her, he wanted her and wanted her now.

"Do you always run around half naked in public?" he asked, knowing that he was needling her, but he couldn't help himself. He didn't really want anyone else seeing all of that glorious skin. It didn't make much sense, but common sense had flown out the window the minute Anna had walked into his life two days ago. All he could feel was white hot lust and an uneasy jealousy that he couldn't quite explain.

Her mouth tightened into a grimace and she clutched the sketchbook against her chest. "It's 95 degrees outside," she said through clenched teeth. "And I'm wearing more than most of the women on the beach today."

She was adorable when she was angry. So adorable in fact that he made a split second decision that he refused to examine more closely. "Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked.

Anna seemed even more surprised at this change in topic. Her eyes grew wide and round, as did her perfect pink mouth. "Why do you care? I can dress myself without a man's approval," she said hotly and got to her feet. "You are the rudest man I've ever met!"

She tried to walk past him to the door, but he grabbed her elbow and turned her to face him. "Humor me," he suggested. He couldn't stop himself from smiling as he said it. He knew it would confuse her, but he saw the answer to his problem right in front of him and he couldn't walk away from this opportunity.

"I just got out of bad relationship about a month ago," she said haughtily and wrenched her arm out of his grasp. "It's part of the reason I needed this vacation. So… I'm single. Does that settle your curiosity? Can I go now?"

"Good," he said with an even wider grin.

"Good?" she asked, obviously confused by the conversation. "Why is that good?"

"It's good because I don't have to feel bad when I do this," he said and then scooped her up into his arms and carried her inside the cottage away from prying eyes.

"Kristoff, put me down!" Anna squealed, trying to squirm away from him but failing. She wasn't sure what was going on, but the cranky guy she had met only a few days ago had suddenly disappeared and in his place was a playful stranger. She wasn't sure which one she perfered. The new playful attitude confused her and set her off balance. She knew how to handle cranky Kristoff, she just stayed out of his way and tried not to talk too much. But this? Carrying her, teasing her, smiling at her? How did she deal with that when her heart wouldn't stop fluttering nervously in her chest?

"I can't do that," he said with a mock sigh. "You might try to escape and I haven't had time to convince you of my idea yet."

"What idea?" Anna asked curiously, her squirming stilled by the look in Kristoff's eyes. She wasn't sure why she hadn't noticed it before, but he had really beautiful brown eyes the color of milk chocolate. Maybe she hadn't noticed because he had never looked directly at her before, but she was certainly noticing now.

He carried her into the bedroom and kicked the door closed behind them, but he still didn't let her go. If anything, his grip on her tightened. "I think we should sleep together," he said simply. His eyes were still staring straight into hers, as though daring her to argue.

Her mouth fell open in shock. "You what?"

"It makes sense," he pressed, his fingers stroking her side as he spoke. "We're both single and I find you attractive. Why waste a perfectly good vacation trying to ignore each other. Wouldn't it be more fun if we enjoyed ourselves and this wonderful king sized bed?"

Anna wasn't sure whether to laugh out loud, slap him in the face or kiss him, though all three seemed marvelously attractive. They had just met two days ago! Did he really think that all they needed to know about each other was whether or not they were single? The worst part was that part of her found his suggestion tempting. What better way to get over Hans than to have a fling with a gorgeous stranger? She had a feeling that the sex would be mind blowing. But could she really put herself in the position of having an emotionless, reckless fling?

Hell yes.

She gave in wholeheartedly, not even giving it another moments thought whether it was the right thing to do. Screw the right thing. She had been trying to do the right thing for years and where had it gotten her? She had ended up at this beach cottage, right here in Kristoff's arms, so she might as well take what was being offered.

She dug her fingers into the nape of his neck and pulled his mouth down to hers, letting all of her pent up frustration and want bleed into the kiss. She was the aggressor now, she was in charge… and she loved it.

Her teeth nipped and tugged at his lips, forcing him to open up so she could sweep her tongue inside. Damn he tasted good. So inherently male, so warm. She couldn't get enough.

His hands moved to cradle her, holding her neck and lower back as he gave as good as he got. His tongue tangled with hers, tasting and teasing her. When that wasn't enough for him, he slid his hand from her back to her breast, forcing a moan from her throat.

"So," he managed to say after he had pulled his lips from hers. His voice was thick and rough with desire, "Is that a yes?"

"Take your clothes off."

"Yes, ma'am."


	5. Freckles

**Notes: **This scene is very **VERY **MA, so please don't read unless you are interested in that kind of thing. Having said that... enjoy ;)

They stared at each other for a long moment, Anna's demand that he take off his clothes hanging in the air between them.

Kristoff chuckled and set her down on the bed. "You're a bossy one aren't you?" he teased and starting loosening his belt, but he moved slowly, teasingly. Something in her snapped in reaction.

Anna got to her knees and reached out for him, her fingers reaching for the hem of his shirt so she could lift it over his head. He was the one to suggest this, but he was taking his own sweet time now and she wasn't having any of it. "I thought you wanted me," she whispered, moving a hand up inside his shirt and feeling his muscled abs under her fingertips.

He wrapped his fingers around her wrist and stilled her hand. His brown eyes were serious and that more than anything stopped her manic pace. "Anna, we have plenty of time. Just because I suggested that we go to bed together doesn't mean I'm taking it lightly."

She couldn't hide her surprise, she was sure it was written all over her face. She wasn't sure she understood Kristoff, or this situation they were in, at all. If he didn't want a fling, what did he want? What could she afford to give him?

"Maybe we should think about this," she said quietly and sat back on the bed. Her head was spinning from their kiss and the rush of crazy desire that had overwhelmed her. She hadn't thought twice about throwing herself into his arms after he had suggested they go to bed together, but now that he was looking at her with those serious brown eyes she couldn't help but take a step back and rethink the past five minutes.

He sat next to her on the bed and took her hand in his. "Look, I'm not saying that I don't want to go to bed with you right now… because I do. I really want you. I'm just saying that one night stands aren't something I make a habit of doing. Even if I don't want to admit it, I like you."

"You could have fooled me," she said grumpily, thinking back over the past couple of days. He had been everything from angry and belligerent to downright rude as he ignored her. Saying that he liked her now felt like he was just trying to get into her pants, which wasn't necessary because she had already shown she was more than willing.

He laughed again, but it was more self depreciating this time. "I'm not good with people," he agreed, "and I like my privacy, so I know I can come off a little grumpy sometimes…"

"A little?" Anna interrupted, her voice squeaky with surprise and disbelief. "I thought you were going to kick me out of the cottage when you found out your friend double booked us. You really need to work on your people skills."

"Hush," he chided her and put a finger to her lips so she wouldn't interrupt him again. "Now, as I was saying, I can come off as grumpy, but it's only because I like my privacy. I like being alone and enjoying time to myself. But, having said that, you aren't a bad person to spend a vacation with. You like my cooking and you have legs that drive me crazy. It may not be my ideal vacation, but that isn't your fault and I'm sorry if I made it seem that way."

She was in complete shock. She couldn't doubt the sincerity of his words, not when his eyes held her gaze that way and his thumb brushed circles on the back of her hand. She was also struck by how different he was than Hans. She had never had a conversation with him like this, not one that felt this real and connected. It was sad that she had only realized that after the fact.

Her voice was shaky as she struggled to find some way to respond. "My legs drive you crazy, huh?"

His lips twitched but managed to give her a solemn nod. "Almost as much as your shoulders. I've never seen freckles like yours before. It makes me curious."

"Curious about what?" she asked, feeling herself leaning into him with every word spoken. He had her hypnotized with those eyes and she doubted she would be able to keep her hands to herself for much longer.

"If you have them anywhere else," he whispered, his lips coming within an inch of hers.

She shivered, feeling his words brush over her like a caress. A very _intimate_ caress.

She closed the distance between their lips and gave him a very different kiss than the one they had shared a few minutes earlier. That one had been all teeth and tongues, filled with a raging lust and searching fingers. This one was softer, brimming with promise at what was to come, but also with a better understanding of what this was. It wasn't a one-night stand, it was an understanding between two people. It had possibilities of something more.

"About my freckles…" she whispered against his lips, her tone playful, "I've been told they are everywhere."

Another laugh escaped him. "How long do you think it would take me to taste each one?"

Heat flooded her, making her core grow warm and damp. Damn, he was good at this. "I'm not sure," she admitted breathlessly. She wasn't as good at wordplay as Kristoff, but she certainly enjoyed listening to _him_ speak.

"I guess we better get started," he suggested, "we only have eleven days left."

Her heart pounded against her ribcage, a racing beat that was almost painful. Never before had she been as turned on by a man just with words. It made her wonder if he could possibly measure up when they were finally skin to skin, racing for release. Just the thought of their naked skin beaded with sweat made her swallow hard. She didn't want to admit to herself how much she wanted it… wanted him. It was dangerous, but so delicious. How could she pass up this chance?

His fingers slid up her leg, his touch light and sensual. "I like the freckles here," he said, tracing a spattering of spots on her upper thigh. "I wonder if they taste different than the ones on your shoulders."

With shaky fingers, Anna grabbed the hem of her tank top and pulled it over her head, leaving her in just a bra and her cut off shorts. "Do you want to find out?" she asked softly, feeling a blush rise up her cheeks. She couldn't help it, she wasn't used to this kind of flirtation with her sexual partner. It was new and exciting, but also a little embarrassing.

With a glimmer of humor in his eyes, he bent his head to her neck, his tongue darting out to taste her skin.

She wasn't sure who moaned first, her or Kristoff, but the mingled sounds were like an aphrodisiac. The fact that he enjoyed touching and tasting her as much as she enjoyed being touched and tasted by him, spoke volumes about him as a lover. They had barely begun and she already knew it was going to be the most satisfying experience of her life.

"You taste like warm honey," he whispered as he moved from her shoulders to her collar bone, his tongue tracing little circles along her skin. "It must be that bubble bath you used last night. I was right… it tastes like it smells."

Her head fell back as a wave of pleasure washed through her. Kristoff cuddled her to his chest and then moved them back onto the bed, so she was sinking into the pillow top mattress with his body covering hers like a blanket. They were in exactly the right position for his jean clad arousal to hit her core and she moaned again, grinding herself up against him. He responded with a nip of his teeth on her neck.

"Don't rush me," he growled against her neck, "I told you I wanted to taste every one of your freckles and I meant it. I want to have you puddled at my feet before I slide inside of you."

She whimpered and slid her hands up under the back of his shirt, her fingers digging into his shoulders as his tongue traced along the top of her lacy bra. "I never imagined you as a tease," she said, her breath hitching with every swipe of his tongue against her skin.

"I've never been involved with a girl with freckles before," he replied. "I guess things change."

"They're just freckles," she argued, which was difficult because he was inching her bra strap down her shoulder and uncovering her left breast to his searching mouth.

"They're sexy," he said simply. It was a tone that effectively ended her argument, especially when he looked up from her chest and his eyes seared into hers. He wasn't kidding around, he really found her freckle kissed skin to be sexy. She was both surprised and pleased. And even more than that, she was aroused, really aroused. How did he keep doing this to her? For the first time in a long time she actually felt beautiful and sexy. This alone was worth all the stress and pain she had been feeling in the past month. Meeting Kristoff made it all worth it.

She dragged his face from the top of her breast and set her lips on his. She needed to take back at least a little control here or she would slip into a pleasure coma and miss out on teasing him in return. "Kiss me," she breathed, "let me be involved. Let me tease you back."

He looked like he wanted to argue, but she wouldn't let him. She was going to be a full participant in this, she wouldn't settle for anything left. So, she rolled him onto his back and slid down the bed until she was hovering over his groin. With a wicked grin, she started unzipping his jeans, stopping his protest with a saucy wink. When she spread his pants open, she was a little shocked at what she found.

"You don't approve of going commando?" he asked innocently, but his eyes were filled with mirth.

She didn't dignify that with a response. Instead, she pulled his pants down over his hips and tossed them onto the floor, leaving him bare to her viewing pleasure, and oh… what a view it was. He was thick and hard, standing at attention just for her. What's more, he had a small sexy brown mole just above the blonde curls that was just begging to be kissed. She suddenly understood his fascination with her freckles. Spots like that were almost like little magnets pulling you in. Very sexy.

His eyebrows disappeared into his hairline and she bent her head and pressed a kiss to the mole. While she was there she couldn't help but move her lips down his shaft until she reached the tip where one glistening drop hung. She licked it off with her tongue and grinned at him. "I like the way you taste," she teased, feeling a heady power as she took control.

"Damn it, Anna," he swore, bolting upright and wrapping his arms around her, pulling her back down onto the bed next to him. "You've proved your point, all right?"

"Good," she grinned again and then ran her tongue along his lips, making him gasp and shudder a little. "So, are you going to keep teasing me or are we going to have sex?"

He pulled off his shirt and tossed it over by his jeans then gave her a mischievous smile. "What do you think?"

"I think I'm overdressed," she said and reached behind her back to unhook her bra. She managed to do it in one try and she slid it down her shoulders and held it between them for a moment, relishing in the way his eyes moved from the bit of white lace to her suddenly bared breasts.

"Damn right," he agreed. "It's too bad about the shorts, though. I really like the way your legs look in them."

"I'll wear them for you later," she promised, "but for now…"

She slipped out of her remaining clothes and moved back to his side, slipping one leg over him so she was straddling his groin, his cock straining at her entrance. When she had been with Hans, she had never felt this kind of freedom in the bedroom. He had been the one to take control and she had been expected to cater to his whims and wants. With Kristoff it was entirely different. She could be a little wild, a little aggressive. She could be anyone she wanted to be, ask for anything she wanted him to do. It was a freeing revelation.

"Cowgirl, huh?" he asked appreciatively. His fingers grasped her hips and his eyes lit up with pleasure.

She shifted against him, reveling in the deliciousness of the friction. "I've always wanted to try this position," she admitted, hoping that he didn't point out the pink flush staining her cheeks.

"I suppose everyone needs to experiment at some point in their lives," he agreed, though she heard a hint of excitement in his voice. He wasn't showing it on his face, but when he twitched against her she knew he was looking forward to giving her the experience of her life.

Shedding her last traces of embarrassment, Anna pulled her hair free of the pony tail she had stuck it in, and let the tresses fall down around her shoulders. It created a small strawberry blond waterfall around her, giving her an air of sensuality that she had previously lacked. She was rewarded with wide eyes and another twitch of his cock.

The wait had been long enough, maybe too long, and Anna didn't want to wait any longer. She took his hand and brought it to her breast, cupping his palm around her. "Make me moan," she begged him, her words both a request and a demand. "Make me burn."

His breath came out in a wheeze, but he was able to whisper, "Yes Ma'am."

From that point, everything seemed to flow naturally. He slid into her, filling and warming her body. The friction of their skin sliding against each other made her whimper with pleasure. His hands moved to cup her breasts and pinch her nipples. He definitely made good on her demand to make her moan. She closed her eyes and threw her head back, feeling the pleasure crest and peak inside of her. She rocked against him, matching him thrust for thrust as she rode him to a joint orgasm. And when she finally reached her climax, she wasn't embarrassed by the tears she shed. For their first time, it was pretty damn perfect.

She collapsed next to him afterward, letting him cuddle her against his chest so they could catch their breaths. Her ear was pressed against his heart, listening to his pulse slow as they came down from their sexual high. It was the best she had ever felt in her life, no contest.

"I think we should share the bed," she murmured as she snuggled into him.

"We just did," he reminded her with a breathy chuckle. "I'm not sure I'm ready to go again just yet."

"Not like that," she groaned, giving him a playful slap on his shoulder. "I meant that we should share it at night. It's silly to make you sleep on the couch after what we just did."

He was quiet for a long moment, his racing heart the only indication that he hadn't fallen asleep on her. Finally, she felt him brush a kiss to the top of her head. "Whatever you say, Freckles."

She couldn't help but smile.


	6. Popcorn

Anna tossed a handful of popcorn and laughed when Kristoff failed to catch a single kernel in his mouth. "I thought you said you were good at this," she teased.

"I _am_ good at this. You just have terrible aim," he retorted.

She gasped and placed a hand on her heart, her eyes mocking as she look at him. "I'm insulted, Mr. Bjorgman. I have excellent aim."

"Could have fooled me."

She punched him lightly in the shoulder, but she couldn't hide the laughter in her eyes. Things between them had been good since they had fallen into bed together the previous morning. It wasn't just the sex either, though that was mind-blowingly amazing! It was Kristoff himself that made her smile even when she had no real reason to. He listened to her, really listened. He teased her and made her laugh. He was not just a lover, but a friend. Every moment was an exciting adventure when she was with him. She wouldn't tell him this, but she was kind of glad that his friend Sven had screwed up. She didn't even want to imagine the kind of moping she would have indulged herself in if she had been at the cottage alone.

"My turn to ask a question," Kristoff said, his words cutting through her thoughts as he squeezed her ankles that were up in his lap.

They had been spending the morning getting to know each other by taking turns asking questions. Anna had discovered that Kristoff had been adopted by a large family when he was eight years old and Sven had been his best friend since even before that. She knew that he liked strawberry ice cream better than chocolate (the heathen!), and had never enjoyed Halloween when he was growing up because he wasn't interested in dressing up "like an idiot". She had also learned that no matter what he said, he was terrible at catching popcorn in his mouth.

In return, he know knew that she and Elsa had been alone for the past five years and had grown very close because of it. He learned that she would eat just about anything if chocolate was part of the recipe and that she had been painting since her parent's car accident and needed an outlet for her emotions. Things that she hadn't been willing to tell Hans came out with the least bit of effort when Kristoff asked. She felt she could tell him anything.

"You can ask whatever you want, but I need more popcorn first," she agreed and looked down at her empty bowl.

"You wouldn't need more popcorn if you hadn't been throwing it at me," he reminded her, but took the bowl from her and led the way back into the kitchen from the living room.

Anna peeled herself from the couch and followed him into the kitchen, enjoying the way his butt looked in his jeans. He had turned her into a pervert… and she couldn't care less. Plus, she liked his butt. It was nice and firm and filled out his jeans in all the best ways. She had to forcibly stop herself from reaching out and squeezing it. Something told her that he probably wouldn't appreciate that too much.

"Can we make some kettle korn this time?" she asked him, settling herself on the island stool to watch him work. After her disastrous attempt at helping him cook the night before, she had relinquished the kitchen to his much more capable hands.

"I was thinking about homemade carmel corn," he suggested, grabbing a pot from the rack above the sink and setting it on the stove. "That way you can't throw it anymore or you'll have to pay Sven to get his couch and floor cleaned."

Anna stuck out her tongue at him. "It wouldn't have been a problem if you'd actually caught some of the popcorn in your mouth."

"Do you ever let things go?" he asked her, turning away from the stove and narrowing his eyes at her.

"Is that your question?" she asked playfully, setting her chin in her hands and her elbows on the island.

He rolled his eyes and turned back to the stove. "No. I was going to ask what your favorite book is."

"Books, really?" Her eyes widened in surprise yet again. It seemed that he was always surprising her. "I never imagined you to be a reader."

"You didn't imagine that I was a tease either, I guess you aren't a very good judge of character," he said mockingly as he stirred the caramel sauce for the popcorn.

She knew he hadn't meant it as a jab, but she felt the comment like a knife in the heart. He couldn't possibly have known how much she regretted her last relationship and the man that she had thought she loved. He couldn't know that she really _was_ a terrible judge of character. It had just been a silly comment, but it hurt.

"Yeah, that's me," she said with a lightheartedness she didn't feel. "Bad judge of character."

Either he didn't hear her or he didn't sense the seriousness of what she had said, because he turned back to her with a smile and a big bowl of freshly made carmel popcorn. "As long as you aren't a bad judge of books," he teased. "I'm still waiting to hear what you like to read."

She reached over and snatched a gooey piece of popcorn and stuck it in her mouth. "I'm a sucker for romance novels," she admitted.

He rolled his eyes. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

She chuckled and reached for more popcorn. If Kristoff didn't care if she was a bad judge of character, why did she? She was here in this cottage with a gorgeous man who made her moan, but more than that, he made her laugh. Why dwell on a manipulative jerk?

Why indeed.


	7. The Art of Flipping Pancakes

Kristoff woke up with a very warm, very wiggly body plastered against his.

He pried open his eyes (which was difficult because the bed was so warm and comfortable) and looked down at the mess of strawberry blonde that must have been hiding Anna even if he couldn't see her under all that hair. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and rolled out of bed, Anna following him in her sleep and nearly falling to the floor.

"Whoa there, Freckles," he said with a chuckle, unwrapping her arms from his waist and pushing her back onto the bed. "I don't think you want to wake up on the floor."

She mumbled incoherently and pulled a pillow over her face. His little red-head was not a morning person and he found it adorable.

"You just stay there and I'll make us some breakfast, all right? How do pancakes sound?" he asked her. He sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed his sweatpants that he had tossed on the floor the night before. When she didn't answer him immediately he pulled his pants on and tried not to laugh at the way she was sprawled out on the bed. "I'm going to assume that pancakes are okay."

"And bacon…" she grumbled, her sleep roughened voice only just barely discernable through the pillow.

"And bacon," he agreed. "But you better get up soon or I'll eat it all myself."

She moaned and removed the pillow from her face, her lips pulled down in a scowl. "You're mean."

He dropped a kiss to her forehead and rumpled her hair. "I'm a monster," he agreed. "So you know I'll actually do it if you don't join me in the kitchen in a few minutes. If you show your face before I finish, maybe I'll teach you how to properly flip pancakes."

That sparked an interest in her well enough. Her head came up off the bed and her mouth turned from a scowl into a thoughtful pout. "Give me five minutes," she said.

He laughed. "I'll give you ten."

When Anna finally joined him in the kitchen, he had the griddle warmed up and was finishing mixing up the pancake batter. Because he knew her well, he had also grabbed a bag of milk chocolate chips to drop into the pancakes once they were cooking on the grill. He figured she would appreciate that.

"I don't smell any bacon," she said petulantly as she walked over to his side.

"It's because I haven't started it yet. You can't cook bacon before the pancakes or everything will taste like bacon grease," he informed her. When he turned his head to look at her, his mouth fell open. She was wearing his shirt… and only his shirt.

"Anna…" his mouth ran dry as he looked down at her. Those long, sexy legs that he loved were peeking out from under his tee-shirt, looking so kissable that he lost his train of thought. Damn, he could even make out a few pale freckles kissing the skin along her calf.

"Hey, you grabbed chocolate chips!" she squealed as she spied them, throwing her arms around him and plastering her barely clothed body against his. "You are so amazing!"

"Uh, yeah," he managed to choke out, trying to keep his mind on making breakfast and _not_ on pulling off the shirt she was wearing and covering her in maple syrup instead of the pancakes. "So, did you want me to teach you how to flip pancakes?"

"That's why I'm awake," she said, all smiles.

He pulled her in front of him, so that his arms circled her waist, and grabbed the pancake batter and a spatula. He took a deep breath when she snuggled against him, her bottom pressing firmly against his growing arousal. _Focus_, he thought anxiously, hoping that he wouldn't burn either of them while trying to teach Anna how to make breakfast.

"First you pour some pancake batter on the griddle," he said firmly, pouring out a small circle of batter and then setting the bowl back down.

"What about the chocolate chips?" Anna asked, grabbing the bag from the counter and holding them up. "You don't put them in the batter first?"

He shook his head. "If you do that, then all the chocolate chips pool at the bottom of the bowl and you get a bunch of pancakes with one or two chips in them and then one or two that are nothing but pancakes. It's better to toss a few on top after the batter is starting to cook."

She grabbed a handful of the chips and sprinkled the top of the pancake with them. "Like that?"

"That's perfect," he told her and squeezed his arm around her so she would know that he was pleased she was paying attention. "Now, we wait until the edges of the pancake start to bubble before we flip it over, otherwise it's a sticky mess and runs all over the griddle."

He had to marvel at how natural it felt to hold her like this, with one arm wrapped around her while the other held hers. She fit against him as though her body had been molded to his alone. It was nice, comfortable, perfect even. It was something he had never found in other women he had dated. It made him wonder how fate could have led them to this one moment. And now he was getting all poetic over a girl he had just met five days before. He wasn't sure what was wrong with him.

"Ooh, I see it bubble!" Anna said excitedly, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. "Do we flip it now?"

"Yep," he agreed and tightened his hand around hers. "Now, just slide the spatula underneath the pancake like that… and flip!"

For her first time flipping a pancake, she did a pretty damn good job. It cracked a little on the side, but it had been almost perfect.

"Look, Kristoff! I did it!" she squealed again, turning to face him in her excitement.

She looked so pleased with herself, her eyes so filled with accomplishment and joy that he couldn't help but lean down and kiss her. He wouldn't tell her this, but she tasted better than any pancake they could cook up. Even with chocolate chips and maple syrup. She was inherently Anna and that was the best taste in the world.

Without thinking about it, he hefted her up onto the counter and stepped between her legs, holding her close against him as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. She let out a noise that was all female, soft and content, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to deepen the kiss. The pancake was forgotten as they lost themselves in each other and Kristoff couldn't have cared less. It was only food, they could make or buy more. He only had a few days left with Anna, so he had to make each moment count.

"The pancake," Anna managed to say as his lips moved down her neck. "I can smell it burning."

His hand slid between them, his fingers brushing the curls at her core. She shuddered in his arms and held him tighter. "We can make more later," he whispered against her skin. "Right now I want you."

And for once, Anna didn't seem to have anything to say in response. He would have to remember this trick for the future.


	8. Portrait Sitting

**Notes: **I'm really sorry about the lag, I'm really struggling with the next couples of scenes so bear with me.

"Come on, Kristoff, please!" Anna begged, kneeling down at his feet and tugging on his hand like a child who desperately wanted something.

He sighed heavily, faintly annoyed that she wouldn't drop the request after he had said no twice already. "Why is this so important to you? It's just a damn portrait."

She pouted. "I'm an artist, and you are an interesting subject. Besides, I want to have something to remember this trip by."

"Then paint the damn cottage," he grumbled, "I don't want to sit around and stare at nothing for hours so you can paint me, Anna. It's my vacation too."

She stared at him with wide pleading eyes, but when he didn't budge she sighed and got up from the floor. "You are so damn stubborn," she muttered and stormed away, slamming the door to the bedroom with a crashing thud.

Later, as Kristoff was making grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, he found himself the unwilling subject of Anna's sketching. While he had been rooting around in the fridge for ingredients, Anna had come to the island with her sketch pad and pencil and was now staring at him and scribbling furiously.

"I thought that I said I didn't want you to paint me," he reminded her lightly, though his tone sounded far more serious than his words implied.

"You said that you didn't want to sit around and stare at nothing for hours," she pointed out without looking up from her sketch pad. "You aren't doing that, you're cooking. As in, doing something."

He sighed as he buttered the bread for the sandwiches. "That isn't really what I meant, Anna, and you know it."

"It isn't like anyone else is going to see this but me," she said thoughtfully, tapping her pencil against her bottom lip as she looked at him. "It won't be embarrassing, I promise. It's just for me to remember you by. Are you really going to deny me that?"

He turned from the stove, walked around the island, and tossed her sketch pad and pencil onto it. Then he shoved his hands in her hair and kissed her, his lips so hot against hers that it felt as though he was branding her. When they were both gasping for breath, he pulled away and went back to the stove to finish lunch. "There," he said grumpily, now you have something to remember me by."

Anna stared at him for a moment, then she grabbed her paper and pencil off the island and stalked out of the kitchen without a word. Perhaps he was being too much of a hard ass, but he didn't really feel comfortable with Anna putting so much work into a portrait of him. It felt very intimate, even more intimate than what they had been sharing in the bedroom. It was something that a girlfriend or wife would do, not… not this, whatever they were. He just wished he could explain that to Anna without her getting so upset with him.

When Anna didn't show up for dinner, Kristoff went looking for her, though he was pretty sure he knew where she was.

"Anna, I made chicken fajitas," Kristoff said as he stood in the doorway to the front porch. She was holed up there with her easel, her paints and her sketch pad lying beside her. She didn't even seem to notice him at first because she was so absorbed in her work.

He stepped up behind her and looked at the sketches in her book. There he was, buttering a slice of bread for grilled cheese at lunch. He was surprised how she had captured a single moment, even when he had been in motion. She had even caught the tension in his jaw when he had been about to turn around and scold her. Somehow Anna caught moments, people, and brought them to life. It was beautiful.

"You can look through them," she murmured as she lightly drew a few lines onto her canvas. "You might find one that you like."

He looked from the book on the table to the girl bent over the canvas and sighed, his decision made. If she showed this much determination in all of her work, he couldn't fault her for wanting to capture her time here with him. "You can paint me if you want," he relented.

She turned to look at him, one eyebrow raising in amusement. "My sketches were good enough to change your mind?"

He smiled at her and bent down to kiss her again, though this was a softer, sweeter, kiss than the one he had given her at lunch. "No, Anna, I changed my mind because I think you are beautiful," he said simply. "Now come on, dinner is going to get cold if we stay out here much longer."

"But… that isn't an answer!" Anna argued.

Kristoff chuckled and made his way back inside.


	9. Teasing

**Notes: **I'm still stuck on the next scene... so it may be just a bit. I hope you enjoy this chapter though!

Kristoff leaned against the door jamb, staring at Anna as she worked methodically on her painting of him. He had resisted it, had thrown a tantrum about it, but in the end he had agreed and he was glad. When she worked, she was even more beautiful to him and the fact that she wanted to keep something of him to remember this trip by gave him a warm feeling in his stomach. He almost hated interrupting her… almost.

He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his lips against her neck. To her credit, she didn't even flinch, she just kept painting. "I was wondering when your curiosity would get the better of you," she said softly, with a hint of a smile in her voice. "Am I butchering your likeness?"

He stopped to really take in the painting she had chosen to do. He had a feeling that she had been sketching him without his notice for days before choosing her favorite pose. He was laying on the couch asleep, a book dangling from his fingers. It was interesting and captured a side of him that he wasn't sure many people knew about or even cared to see. If this was the kind of work she did, he didn't doubt that she had a growing name in the art community. She was unique, different. Her unique takes on portraits was what made her special. She wouldn't be Anna if she wasn't.

"As much as I fought against it, you would think that I would hate it… but I don't. I actually really like it. You wouldn't be interested in letting me have it for my mom, would you?" He doubted she would, but he had to ask. He had a feeling that Bulda would love this portrait.

"Of course you can have it!" she exclaimed, turning to look at him with bright eyes. "You really like it that much? You think it's good?"

His heart beat a little faster in his chest as she gave him that special Anna smile. He almost forgot what he had been saying, but thankfully the painting was staring him in the face so he didn't lose his track for that long. "I think it's really good," he admitted. "I haven't seen much of your other work, but this painting really feels like me. You have a gift."

She flushed, her eyes glistening with tears. She put a hand to his cheek and brought his lips to hers for a soft kiss. "Thank you. I think that's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me."

"Are you sure I can have it? You fought pretty hard to have a souvenir of me, are you okay to just give it away that easily?" he asked her.

She waved his concern away. "You saw my sketchbook earlier, right? I have enough sketches of you to do ten paintings if I really want to. I'm just glad you like my work enough to want to take it home with you," she paused and then her eyes narrowed a bit. "But… you didn't come out here to stroke my ego, so what did you need?"

He chuckled and brushed his fingers against her cheekbone. "I was actually wondering if you wanted to get out of the house tonight and have dinner with me," he suggested, hoping that she would say yes.

She didn't answer him right away, instead she bit her lower lip and stared at him, as though expecting him to recind the offer. When he didn't, a smile blossomed over her face. "You want to be seen with me out in public?" she asked.

"I want to take you out to dinner. I want to enjoy a meal with you that I don't have to cook," he teased and was rewarded with a bubbly laugh from her. He brushed her cheeks again, this time with a kiss. "Anna, I want to go on a real date with you. Would you like that?"

"Yes, I think I would," she said softly, her face glowing with happiness. "Thank you."

"No, Anna, thank you," he said. "I'll make a reservation at this restaurant close by, say six o'clock?"

She nodded. "That sounds like a plan."

He hummed to himself as he buttoned up his shirt. He was glad he had brought a nice shirt with him, just in case he had wanted to get out of the house and go somewhere. Being prepared had definitely come in handy. Just as long as Anna approved, that was all that mattered. He couldn't see why she wouldn't though. It was just a blue button up, nothing weird or wild about it. It was simple, like him. Probably why Bulda had bought it for him in the first place.

He shouldn't have been surprised when Anna burst into the bathroom with him and spun around, lifting her hair away from her neck. "I can never get this silly zipper up, can you help me with it?" she asked, though to his ears it sounded more like a demand. He swallowed a smile and brought his fingers to the tiny zipper at the base of her spine. Before he zipped it up, he took a moment to appreciate the flawless skin of her back that was open to his view. He trailed his fingertips over the opening and felt her shiver under his touch.

"Have you changed your mind about going out?" she asked, her voice lowering an octave as desire set in.

He chuckled and zipped her up. It was a shame to hide away such beautiful skin, but he didn't particularly feel like sharing her with the rest of the world either, so he didn't have much of a choice. "No, I'm fairly set on having dinner out of the cottage," he said seriously. "That doesn't mean I might not be interested in other things when we get home."

"If we make it through dinner," Anna teased, throwing him an impish look over her shoulder.

He leaned down and kissed her shoulder, admiring the silky feel of her dress under his fingers. "I like this color on you, it reminds me of your eyes," he whispered, sliding his hands over her stomach and pulling her closer.

"Elsa bought it for my birthday. This is the first time I've worn it," she admitted. "I think I like it even more because you like it."

"I'd like it even more pooled on the floor this evening after I've undressed you," he said into her ear, making her shiver again.

"We aren't going to make it to the restaurant at all if you don't stop teasing me," she said pointedly and untangled herself from his arms.

"All right, all right," he said, taking a step back from her and putting his hands up in front of him. "I'll stop teasing you now, but when we get back home after dinner, all bets are off."

She put her hands on her hips and tried to frown at him, but couldn't seem to keep it up. Her lips twitched and she let out a soft laugh. "Fine, as soon as we get home I'll let you tease me as much as you want."

"Is that a promise?" he asked curiously, his blood racing through his veins as he thought of all the ways in which he could tease her.

She hesitated at the look in his eye. "Um… yes?"

"Well then, we shouldn't waste any time in heading out to dinner." He held out his arm to her and she placed her hand in the crook of his elbow. "How fast do you think we can eat and make it back here?"

"Kristoff!"

He chuckled. "Just teasing you. Come on, let's go eat. I'm starving."

"So, you aren't just a meat and potatoes man, huh?" Anna asked him after they had placed their orders and given the menus back to the waiter.

Kristoff shrugged, though a smile crossed over his lips. "Is there something wrong with enjoying seafood pasta?"

She laughed and reached her hand across the table to squeeze his. "Of course there isn't, I'm just filing away the information for later. I actually love shrimp. It's one of my favorite foods. You just haven't cooked anything but red meat since vacation started… not counting the chicken fajitas from a few nights ago."

He laughed, he couldn't help it. She was so adorable when she got rambling. Kristoff wasn't sure why he had been nervous about a real date with Anna, but he shouldn't have been. Everything was going smoothly, including the conversation. Anna was a brilliant conversationalist, she had wonderful stories to tell about growing up with her sister and she actually paid attention to what he was saying in return. He hadn't enjoyed a date with a woman this much in, well, ever.

"So, you like seafood, you have a really good relationship with your sister and you think I'm interesting," he said with a smile, "I learn more about you everyday."

Anna chuckled and then picked up her water glass to take a sip. "Knowing whether a person likes seafood or not isn't exactly earth shattering," she pointed out.

"All right, how about learning something a little more personal?" he suggested, his eyebrows wiggling up and down and making Anna laugh.

She leaned forward, balancing her chin on her palms and giving him a mysterious sort of smile. "I suppose that depends on the question. Feel free to ask whatever you want, but I have the right to keep some things to myself."

"Oh, secretive, huh? That's kind of sexy," he whispered and tossed her a wink. "Hmm… favorite sexual position?"

She laughed, her eyes sparkling with good humor. "You couldn't come up with something more original than that?"

He shrugged and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest and a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You don't want to answer the question?"

"Cowgirl," she admitted, a flush staining her cheeks.

"Well, what do you know? That's my favorite too," he smirked. She rolled her eyes in response.

"Do you have any other personal questions?" she asked him. "Questions not of a sexual nature in this very public restaurant?"

He grinned at her and then pretended to think about it for a minute. "I've got one! You said you just got out of a relationship, was he broken heart number one? five? ten?"

A pained look crossed her face and she sat back in her chair, no longer in the mood to be playful. "Just one… broken heart number one," she said softly.

"Ah, Anna… I'm sorry if I upset you," he said quickly, reaching across the table for her but pulling back before he touched her hand. "I just wanted to learn more about you. I'm really sorry."

She smiled, but it didn't spread to her eyes. "It's okay, you couldn't have known that it was a sore subject. I just feel like an idiot whenever I think about him. I didn't realize what kind of person he was until it was too late," she whispered.

"What kind of person was he?" Kristoff asked her, wanting to know what kind of fool would let Anna go.

"The selfish kind," Anna said softly, "the kind who doesn't want anything that resembles an actual future together. The kind that made me feel unattractive and worthless in subtle ways that I never noticed until I got away. Hans Westergaard was the kind of person that added insult to injury by dumping me instead of the other way around."

Kristoff was saved from giving her his opinion on her worthless ex by the arrival of their food. It didn't however stop him from thinking that if he ever met the man he would beat him to a pulp.


	10. Comfort

**Notes: **Sorry for the delay on this one! I really will try to keep up with it, but Mrs. Claus is my number one priority during this month, I hope you understand!

The date had not turned out as romantic as he had hoped.

After the conversation about Anna's ex, Hans, dinner had taken a turn for the worst. Not that they had started fighting, or anything. It was more that they both clammed up. The mention of Hans had ruined both of their appetites, and nothing Kristoff said could get the teasing mood back. By the time they got back to the cottage, the tension between them was thick enough to cut with a knife.

The sound of the doors slamming shut reverberated through the night air as they got out of the truck and headed up the porch stairs. Silence hung between them as Kristoff unlocked the front door of the cottage and Anna moved past him into the foyer. He felt like hitting something. He had screwed up tonight and he wasn't sure he was going to have another chance to fix things. They only had four days left together, and he had ruined what was left. He wondered if maybe he should head home in the morning and forgo the last few days. Judging by the uncomfortable awkwardness between them, he had a feeling she would be eager to see him go.

She slipped into the bedroom, and he didn't follow her.

He crossed the living room with heavy footsteps and a heavy heart before sinking onto the couch. He wasn't going to try and force his presence on Anna tonight, not after that terrible date. He was going to sleep on the couch just like he had done the first few nights at the cottage, and in the morning he would most likely head back home. He didn't like leaving on this note, but it might be best for both of them.

Kristoff was finally getting settled in on the couch when Anna appeared in the bedroom doorway. She was wearing one of his large shirts and looking fragile and defeated as she leaned against the door jamb, her arms wrapped protectively around herself. "Aren't you coming to bed?" she asked him. Her voice wavered like she had been crying.

"Is that what you want?" He sat up from his supine position and stared at her. Was he getting his signals mixed up? Did she really want him to sleep in the bed beside her?

She bit her lower lip and nodded slowly. "I don't want to be alone tonight."

That was all he needed to hear.

He pushed himself off the sofa and strode across the living room until he was standing in front of Anna. He tipped her chin up with his index finger and made her look into his eyes. Her eyes were red rimmed, and he could see the little salt trails where tears had made their way down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry I hurt you," he whispered, his heart clenching painfully.

She shook her head and then shivered. "It wasn't your fault, Kristoff. I'm just… it's just bad memories. Just the mention of his name does this to me. It's why I need you. You make it all go away for a little while."

His heart clenched again, as if she had reached inside of him and wrapped her tiny hand around it. He couldn't believe how much she affected him when they had only known each other a few days. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then slipped an arm around her shoulders. "All right, let's head to bed. I'll hold you as long as you need."

Tears slipped from her eyes and she nodded. "Thank you."


	11. Apologies

**Notes: I really don't know when I'm going to have the next scene for this, as I'm trying to get Mrs. Claus punched out during the holidays. I'm also going to be involved in The 12 Days of Kristanna event on tumblr... so yeah, busy. I'll try to get back to this asap!**

The first thing she noticed the next morning was that she was alone in the bedroom. She remembered Kristoff holding her close to him last night, his voice soft and comforting as he sung her to sleep. She remembered his warmth surrounding her, making her feel like nothing could touch harm her again. He couldn't have been gone for long, though. His side of the bed was still warm.

She decided to get up and look for him, so she leaned over to where her robe was hanging off the back of a chair. She was about to roll out of bed and slip it on, when Kristoff came into the room, a tray of food in his arms and a smile for her on his lips.

"I didn't know if you were awake yet," he said as he placed the tray in her lap and kissed her temple, "but I hope you're hungry."

Anna looked at the food spread out before her and was instantly famished. There was toast liberally laden with strawberry jam, perfectly cooked bacon, scrambled eggs and a glass of apple juice, her favorite. It all looked delicious. "Kristoff, you didn't have to do this," she told him, reaching for his hand and squeezing before he moved around to his side of the bed and sat down next to her.

"I know I didn't, but I wanted to do something for you after last night," he admitted and she noticed the sadness in his eyes. She felt awful for the way she had sobbed into his chest after she had curled up against him. It was embarrassing and yet somehow cleansing. She had been holding all this pain in for the past few weeks and she hadn't been able to hold it in any longer. How could she not be thankful for his quiet strength? Who knows what she could have done without it.

"About last night…" she began, her flush deepening as she realized what he must think of her.

He filled a fork full of eggs and popped it in her mouth. "You don't have to explain to me," he said as his eyes grew soft, "I shouldn't have brought up the subject in the first place. You had every right to be upset. It wasn't something I should have been asking you in the first place."

"I thought I was over it," she admitted after swallowing the bite of eggs he had fed her. "But I'm not sure it's something you can really recover from in a few weeks, even if you spend that time with a gorgeous stranger."

"Look," he said nervously, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck the way he tended to do when he got anxious, "I don't know what happened between you and your ex, but I know you well enough to know that he was a complete fool for not doing everything he could to keep you."

A warmth rushed through her at his words and Anna set her tray to the side so she could lean over to wrap her hand around Kristoff neck. She pulled him down to her, letting her lips move over his in a soft, undemanding kiss. "Thank you," she said simply as she pulled away.

"You don't have to thank me," he argued, "you deserve someone who will treat you like a princess."

She shrugged, but her cheeks warmed in a flush again. "You don't really know me, so how can you know what I deserve?"

He cupped her cheek in his hand and stared into her eyes. "Anna," he whispered, "I know you."

Somehow, even though it seemed impossible, she believed him. He saw parts of her that no one had ever seen before, that no one had been interested in seeing and yet he still wanted to see more. He was exactly the kind of man she would have chosen for herself if she was free to make that choice. _If only they had met under different circumstances… S_he sighed and curled into him. She still had a few more days to enjoy her time with him. She just had to make the most of it.


	12. The Last Night

**Note: **I FINALLY finished this silly scene! It took months, but from here on out the updates should be pretty regular. I actually only have a few more to write (most of them are already written). Anyway... enjoy!

The moonlight spilled through the big glass windows of the bedroom door, coloring the room in a soft white light. Even though it was two o'clock in the morning, Kristoff couldn't sleep. He just stared at the beautiful girl in his arms, needing to get his fill of her in the time he had left. She was heading back home in the morning and planning to to meet her sister Elsa for brunch. That meant he only had another eight hours with her before she was gone from his life forever. It may have been pathetic, but didn't want to waste a second of her.

He slid his hand up and down her arm, feeling the silken texture under his fingertips and marveling at the fact that he had had her to himself for two weeks. Two weeks! If that was all he ever had, he should be thankful, right? Two weeks of Anna was like years of any other woman. She was so bright and alive, so vibrant and colorful. It was no wonder she was an artist, he couldn't imagine her being able to express herself fully in any other vocation. She shined like those splashes of color on her canvas. And every word she spoke hummed with vibrancy. He really should be thankful for these two weeks, but he couldn't be. It was like dangling a carrot in front of him and then taking it away. It was cruel and it hurt.

Not that he wouldn't have given a good many things in order to do it all over again. If it was a choice between having met Anna and experienced what life with her was like, or never having met her at all? Being hers for even a day would have been worth it.

His fingers moved from her arm to her hip, tracing the curve of it and feeling his arousal grow. She didn't even have to do anything special to turn him on, just running his fingers over her body was enough… just looking at the way her body was curved and shaped was enough. No other girl he knew had little dimples at the base of her spine, or had those freckles covering their body that drove him wild. No one else was Anna, which meant that no one else would ever really do. It was too bad he had met the one girl who seemed out of his reach.

When his fingertips moved from her hip to her stomach, Anna's eyes fluttered sleepily and she yawned. "Mmm, Kristoff?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes with a fist. "What time is it?"

"Still early, a little after two," he admitted softly, his voice soothing her back to sleep. "I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"Can't you sleep?" she asked, looking over at his pillow and frowning at the lack of indentation.

"I'm not tired," he lied. He was exhausted, but he couldn't imagine sleeping away his last few hours with her. He figured he would sleep after she left and before Sven came to check out the cottage with him. He would crash on the couch… the bed would seem far too empty without her to share it with.

A slow smile came over her face, lighting up her eyes and bringing a curl to her lips. "I'm sure that I can help you with that," she whispered seductively.

Who was he to argue? This would be the only chance he had left to enjoy her deliciously perfect body. This would be his last chance to enjoy making love to the girl of his dreams. "If you insist," he teased, but by the way her lips pulled up even more, he knew that she didn't believe his reticence for a minute.

She pulled him down to her, their lips meeting in a touch as soft and tender as any moment they had shared together. Her fingers slid into his hair and she let out a sigh of pleasure as his own hand slid down to wrap around the curve of her hip that he had been admiring. As it was a warm night they had gone to bed naked, and there was only a sheet separating them… and that was easily disposed of.

For several long moments he just drank in the sight of her skin in the moonlight, the way she seemed like an otherworldly being. She was absolute perfection and for a few more hours she was all his. "You are so beautiful," he whispered, his voice filled with such awe you could almost believe it was the first time he had seen her this way instead of the last. Or maybe this is the way he would always see her, with eyes filled with wonder at the beauty before him. It was certainly the way he would always remember her.

Tears filled her eyes at his words. "You're just saying that because it's our last night toget…"

He cut her off by pressing his fingers to her lips. "Do you really want to think about that right now?" he asked her. She shook her head, the tears rolling down her cheeks before she hastily rubbed them away. "I want to make one last memory with you. Don't think about tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed, drying her eyes quickly. "I'll try."

He gave her a tender smile and then dropped his head to the curve of her neck, breathing in her scent as his lips brushed across her collarbone. Her skin was so soft, so sweetly perfumed. He was never going to be able to catch the scent of milk and honey again without her coming to his mind- swallowed in bubble bath in the tub or just lying in his arms like this. Hell, who was he kidding? He was _never_ going to stop thinking about her, milk and honey scent or not.

Unable to say the words in his head and his heart, he instead focused all of his attention on lavishing as much attention on her as he could fit into what little time he had left.

It wasn't the same as the other nights they had spent together. Hot passion had given way to bittersweet romance. He wanted to memorize her every curve and movement, so he would never forget how she felt and looked tonight. He wanted to touch and kiss every part of her, to paint his love onto the canvas of her body. This time, he was the artist.

Anna's slender fingers twined with his as their bodies pressed together. Their joining was gentle and beautiful, and for just a moment, their souls became one, and nothing else existed in his universe except for her.

As their breathing returned to a normal rhythm, Kristoff tried to extricate his fingers from hers, but Anna closed her hand, trapping him. She pressed her forehead against his chest, and her shoulders started to heave. When the first drops of her tears hit his skin, he swallowed hard. He hadn't known he could feel this kind of loss and he knew… _he knew_ that Anna felt it too.

How was he going to let her go?


	13. Goodbyes

"Are you sure that you have everything you need?" Kristoff asked as he looked at her trunk. Just one small duffel bag, her easel and art supplies. It seemed like such a meager collection of things to bring on a two week journey and a even smaller collection of things to take home. There were almost no souvenirs unless you counted the three paintings she had finished while she had been here. It made him wonder if he had made her vacation everything she had hoped it would be.

"That's it," she admitted a little wistfully, looking out at the beach with longing in her eyes. "I wish I didn't have to go home today. These two weeks just flew by, didn't they?"

Kristoff closed her trunk lid and felt the thud reverberate through him. This was it. Their vacation was really over. They were heading back to their lives as though none of this had ever happened. He felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest and thrown at her feet, but she didn't even notice. Never before had he felt for anyone the way he did for Anna. Letting her go was a physical pain in his chest and he wasn't sure he could breathe without her.

"Anna…" he said slowly, a million words running through his mind as she turned from her view of the sea to look back at him. The morning light shone through her hair, giving her a red-gold aura that seemed unearthly. Her shirt had slid down her shoulder, revealing that perfect expanse of skin that he loved so much. Everything about her shone so brightly, like her inner light radiated through her and enhanced the air around her. How was he going to let her go?

"Kristoff, thank you so much for the past two weeks. You have no idea how much this meant to me," she smiled and he could see tears shining in her eyes. She reached out for him and he was instantly at her side, scooping her into his arms and lifting her off the ground. He didn't want to let her go, but knew that he didn't have a choice. They had said that their "relationship" was for the duration of this vacation and as much as he wanted to press her for more, he had the feeling that there was a lot more to Anna's situation than she had told him. She had come to recover from a bad break up, which he hoped he had helped with, but he knew there was something else that she wasn't telling him. He wasn't anything but a stranger to her, after all, so it was inappropriate for him to ask. But damn… he wasn't sure he could watch her walk away without part of him leaving with her.

"Just…" he hesitated again, his head full of things he wanted to say to her, "drive safe, okay?"

It was lame, but the words were as sentimental as he could get without downright admitting that he didn't want to watch her drive away.

She smiled again and brushed his cheek with her hand. "You too," she whispered. "Don't forget about me, okay?"

He turned his lips into her palm and kissed it gently. "Never," he promised. "I could never forget you."

He had never spoken truer words.

Tears filled her eyes and she pulled away, an unspoken something hovering just beneath the surface. "Kristoff… I…"

"You're going to be late for brunch with your sister," he reminded her gently. He was proud that his voice didn't crack with emotion as he spoke. He felt like he was falling apart.

"Right," she whispered, looking to the car and then back to him. The air sizzled between them, filled with the heat of the passion they had shared and words that neither of them could fully express.

Kristoff was the first one to break the moment. He took her arm and led her to her car, tension running down his arms as he forced himself to stop touching her. "Who knows, maybe we will run into each other in Arendelle," he suggested, though he doubted it. If they hadn't run into each other in the past 20 years, why would it happen now? They ran in different circles. It wasn't meant to be.

She bit her lip as she slipped into the drivers seat, but she nodded in agreement. "Yeah, maybe we will."

Before he could stop himself he bent down and kissed her one last time. He placed his hand on the back of her neck and held her close as his tongue swept through her soft, warm mouth. He couldn't say goodbye without a last kiss, could he? Wasn't it right to send her off with one last memory of him? He wasn't sure, but that wasn't going to stop him. He was going to wring every last drop of time with her that he could before she drove away from the cottage and out of his life.

When she pulled away there were trails of tears down her cheeks in twin rivers. "I wish things could be different," she whispered so quietly that he wasn't sure that was what she actually said. "I'll miss you, Kristoff."

Without thinking about whether it was a stupid thing to do, he grabbed her phone out of her center console and quickly put his phone number in it. "Here," he said, handing it back to her, "If you ever need me for anything, or if you might want to make this something more permanent, you have my number now."

She looked down at the phone and then back up at him, her eyes a mixture of emotions. "Are you sure?"

About her? _Damn sure_. Not that he could tell her that after only knowing her for two weeks.

"I'm here if you need me," he said again, more firmly this time. "Goodbye, Anna."

"Goodbye, Kristoff," she whispered and closed the drivers side door. She put her key in the ignition but hesitated, looking at him with a longing that he was sure was reflected back in his own eyes. Then the moment passed and she backed out of the drive, making her way back to the highway… leaving him standing in front of the cottage, feeling as though his heart had followed her little Benz back home.


	14. Girl Talk

**Notes: **So, I'm just going to put this chapter here and then hide for a bit... don't hate me.

Elsa sipped her tea and watched the front door of the little bistro where she and Anna had made plans to have lunch after she returned from her vacation. She wasn't in any particular hurry, but she did notice that Anna was running a little late. Absently she stirred her tea and wondered if her little sister had overslept and had been in a rush to make it on time. It would be like her, but somehow she felt like that wasn't the problem. Anna had seemed different when they had chatted on the phone a few nights ago. She had seemed happy in ways that she hadn't been in months. She seemed lighter, more free, than she had in a long time. Elsa figured she must have come to her decision and was finally giving up the stress that had been holding her back. Well, whatever it was, she couldn't possibly know until Anna made her appearance. She just hoped that no matter what Anna chose to do, it was the right choice for her.

As though Elsa's thoughts had summoned her, Anna strolled through the door, looking fresh and pretty in a soft green off the shoulder blouse and matching skirt. Her expression didn't quite match the rest of her though. Her eyes seemed sad, even as her lips smiled at her. "Elsa," Anna said, kissing her cheek as she sat down at their table, "I've missed you. You look wonderful."

"I was going to say the same about you," Elsa admitted, reaching out and squeezing Anna's hands in hers. "Why do you look so down? Are you that upset to be home from your vacation already?"

Anna shook her head, that same forced smile playing on her lips. "No… and yes. Oh Elsa, I wish you had seen the place, it was so beautiful. I painted a picture of it as a souvenir. I want to display it in the upcoming show."

Elsa took a sip of her tea and gave Anna a thorough look over. There was something different about her sister, there was no doubt about that. The sadness in her eyes was only part of it. The deep purple hickey on her neck was definitely another sign. It couldn't be from Hans. Not only because he was out of Anna's life now (through choices entirely his own), but also because he had never been given to grand displays of passion. A hickey was too "low brow" for Hans Westergaard. Anna had obviously met someone new.

"So…" Elsa pressed, setting her tea cup down on the saucer. "What's his name?"

Anna's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but then they softened into a look that was torn between sadness and joy. "How did you guess?" she asked.

"The hickey on your neck," Elsa pointed out, and Anna covered it self-consciously.

"Dammit, he must have done it last night!" she said in horror, her eyes begging for forgiveness. "It really isn't what it looks like."

"Oh, so it wasn't some random vacation fling in order to get over your douche bag of an ex boyfriend?" Elsa asked interestedly, raising one platinum eyebrow and setting her chin in her hand.

Anna let out a giggle, a sound that Elsa hadn't heard from her sister since she had been in high school. "I guess it _is _what it looks like," she admitted. "I just wish you could have met him. He was exactly what I needed."

The waiter interrupted them then to take their lunch orders, so Elsa couldn't press Anna for details, but she watched with a quiet interest as Anna smiled thoughtfully down at her menu. When the waiter finally left them alone again, Elsa didn't waste any time in getting to the heart of the matter. Her sister had originally taken this vacation to think about her future and make a very important decision about her life. Having a crazy fling with a man she just met didn't seem to fit into that category.

"This man… how did you meet him?" Elsa asked her sister, trying to hold back judgment until Anna had had a chance to explain the situation.

A dreamy smile came over Anna's face. "The cottage was double booked," she said with a light laugh.

"It was _what_?" Elsa demanded, both eyebrows raising and knitting together in her frustration. "After what I paid for it?"

Anna put her hand on Elsa's wrist to calm her. "It was a misunderstanding, but it's okay, it worked out so much better than being alone for two weeks. The man who was there, Kristoff, he actually helped build the cottage. He was a friend of the owners. They forgot they had promised to let him stay for the holiday. I'm so glad they did though… Elsa, he was a fantastic cook. At least I didn't starve!"

Elsa sighed. "A fantastic cook, huh? Anna, anyone is a fantastic cook compared to you."

"I know that, but he really was! He made marinated steaks and twice baked potatoes!" Anna exclaimed, practically salivating as she said it. "They were even better than Aunt Gerda's twice baked potatoes and I know how much you love them."

"Did they brown on top?" Elsa asked, unable to hide her curiosity. She had found that few people could properly cook twice baked potatoes to her liking.

"A perfect golden brown," Anna said with a grin. "It was slightly crispy on top and then silky smooth under the thin crust. It was the best I've ever had."

"The best you've ever had?" Elsa asked wryly and folded her hands neatly in front of her. "Why do I get the feeling like you aren't talking about the food with that statement?"

Anna flushed a deep pink, the color staining not just her cheeks but her neck and even down her chest. Elsa had definitely hit on a nerve.

"Elsa… he was unlike any guy I've ever met," she admitted softly, her voice growing serious now as the blush subsided. "He seemed so gruff and grumpy on the outside, but once I got to know him he was such a romantic. He looked at me in ways no man has ever looked at me before. I felt cared about and even, well… loved."

"_Loved?_ Anna, you don't even really know him," Elsa reminded her gently, worry gnawing at her gut. Her sister had always been a bit of a romantic and while Elsa was comforted to know that Hans hadn't killed that part of her completely, she wasn't sure that romanticizing this fling was going to help her in the long run.

Anna waved off her concern. "He never _said_ he loved me. It was just a feeling I got when he looked at me," she paused and looked down at her hands in her lap, her smile melting away. "Anyway, it's over now. We went our separate ways this morning and I doubt I'll ever see him again."

Elsa studied her sister's face as she took another sip of tea. Anna looked almost despondent, sad in ways that even breaking up with Hans hadn't done to her. She had actually cared for this stranger, Kristoff, very much. "So, why won't you be seeing him again if your time together was so amazing?" Elsa asked delicately, hoping that she wasn't upsetting Anna with her questions, but still very curious to know the answer.

Anna shrugged, still forcibly focused on her hands in her lap. "A vacation romance is nice, but getting involved with a pregnant girl is something entirely different," she said softly, a mixture of sadness and loss in her voice.

Elsa let out a sigh and placed her tea cup, now empty, back on the saucer. "You didn't tell him that's why you were there?"

"I wanted to," she whispered, "but everything was so perfect and I couldn't ruin it."

Elsa was suddenly unsure of whether going away had helped Anna come to any solutions to her problems. In fact, it seemed to have created more problems than it had solved. Anna's heart was already so fragile… how was she going to handle this loss on top of everything else?


	15. Friendly Beers

**Notes: **After breaking everyone's hearts in the last chapter, I thought I would give you some semi-fluffy feels here.

Kristoff popped the tab off his beer and took a big swig of it. As much as he enjoyed being out with Sven, he couldn't really do it without getting drunk. Sven was great, but far more enjoyable after he had put down a beer or two.

"Man, I'm still sorry that we booked the cottage for that girl," Sven said and leaned back against the bar in his basement. Kristoff had helped him renovate it the summer before, and they preferred spending their time with the large leather armchairs and 72 in flat screen, instead of going out for overpriced drinks on tap at some random bar.

Kristoff shrugged and leaned against the bar next to Sven. "It's all right, everyone makes mistakes. It worked out fine, right? So it wasn't a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" Sven asked, his eyebrows raised in amusement. "That first message you left me on my cell phone had my ears blistering. You used swear words I didn't even know existed before that call."

"Well, I _was_ looking forward to having the place to myself. The McAllister project left me half dead. I needed to recharge my batteries and I didn't really think I could do that with an attractive, talkative, red-head underfoot," Kristoff said and shrugged again. Man… had he been _wrong_.

Sven gave him a sly look and nudged him in the side with his elbow. "I still can't believe you hooked up with some random chick that rented the cottage. It doesn't sound like the Kristoff I know."

Kristoff rolled his eyes and made his way to one of the leather recliners on the other side of the room. When they had redone the entire basement prior to Sven's wedding, it was so he could have his own "man cave" to retreat to when he needed it. After having lived with a woman for two weeks, Kristoff still wasn't sure what the big deal was. Anna had never made him feel like he needed to escape from her into some kind of testosterone fueled haven. Honestly, he wished he could have spent more time with her. It had been almost a week and he wasn't sure if he had ever missed anyone so much in his life. She had been the very best part of his vacation. Who was he kidding? She _had _been his vacation.

"So, has she called you yet?" Sven asked him, crossing the room to sit in the recliner next to his.

"I never should have told you that I gave her my phone number," Kristoff grumbled, taking another swig of his beer.

"That doesn't answer the question," Sven pressed.

"No, she hasn't called, all right?" Kristoff said in frustration and rubbed his hand over his face.

He had been asking himself why she hadn't called him from pretty much the moment he left the cottage. He thought they had a real connection, something so mind blowing that it would be wrong not to see where it could go. Had he been wrong? Had Anna just been using him to get over her douche bag of an ex-boyfriend? It didn't seem like something she would do, but what did he know? He had only spent two weeks with Anna. He didn't know anything.

"Why don't _you_ call _her_?" Sven asked him, leaning forward in his seat eagerly, his eyes wide with excitement. "Girls like that romantic crap. You look her up, go to her house with flowers… she's yours."

"I want her to call _me_," Kristoff snapped at his friend. "Okay? I want to know that she misses me as much as I miss her. But it's been a week and no phone call. Obviously she forgot about me as soon as she left the driveway."

Sven was quiet for a moment, a rare thing for him, and he stared at Kristoff intently. When he finally spoke, all humor was gone from his voice. "Are you in love with her?"

Kristoff's heart thumped painfully in his chest, the beat growing rapid at the word "love." "Of course I'm not in love with her," he said quickly and tried to force a laugh. "I only knew her for two weeks."

But Sven's question loomed large in his mind and made him wonder if it was possible. Could he really be in love with Anna? Sure, she was great in bed, the most amazing girl he had ever been with. And she made him laugh… and smile, and pissed him off and made him ache because he missed sleeping with her curled in his arms. Did all of that equal love? Could he really have fallen for a girl he had barely known?

"I'm not in love with her," he said again, this time more firmly. He couldn't be in love with a girl who wouldn't even call him after what they had shared together. "I can't be."

Sven's mouth fell open. "You _are _in love with her!" He started laughing and pointing at Kristoff in excitement. "You actually fell in love with that cute red-headed artist!"

Kristoff groaned and put his head in his palms, wincing as the beer can hit his temple. How had he gotten into this mess? And more importantly, why wasn't he more upset with himself for actually falling in love with Anna Frederickson?


End file.
